Chapter 141: Teacher Su Has Fainted Again
Though he wasn’t sure what this “Teacher Su,” whom he’d only met once before, wanted to say to him, Yu Sheng still motioned for the others to leave the room.
Now, only two remained. Yu Sheng sat at the bedside, curiously observing the young employee sent by the Borderland High Council.
“What did you want to tell me?”
Teacher Su leaned against the bedframe, her complexion slightly better than before. “Thank you for bringing Xiao Xiao back… Though I still can’t understand how you managed to do it.”
Yu Sheng chuckled. “Oh, that’s nothing. Given the situation at the time, I couldn’t just stand by and do nothing.”
“Are you investigating the ‘Fairy Tale’ incident? I mean… that ‘Otherworld’?” Teacher Su suddenly asked.
Yu Sheng was momentarily stunned, uncertain why she brought this up.
The young “Teacher” paid his silence no mind and continued speaking as if lost in thought. “I’ve worked at this Orphanage for five years. Although most supernatural matters in the Borderland fall under the jurisdiction of the Special Affairs Bureau, other Divisions within the Council also employ personnel who deal with these phenomena. I was sent here as one of them, tasked with being a ‘Teacher’ to these children…
“You know, things like this happen all the time in this Orphanage. Children suddenly ‘disappear’… Sometimes in their sleep, sometimes in class. Sometimes… they’re smiling, asking if they can have ice cream after class, and then suddenly they’re silent, as if yanked into another world. Sometimes they get to cry out first, but most times… they don’t even have time to scream or shed a tear.
“Among children under ten, such outbursts always happen without warning. My training requires me to identify abnormalities within ten minutes and escort the affected child to the nearest isolation room—all while calming the others to prevent panic. I was a mess at first. Luckily, the ‘Guardians’ among the Cursed Children helped me.
“Every time I teach, my eyes scan those little ones, but my mind’s racing—is that quiet one in danger? Why is that one frowning? Did something already happen to the one who arrived late? Today there are twelve in class… Will there still be twelve tomorrow?
“Most of my colleagues couldn’t last here… They were idealists, full of confidence when they arrived. We all thought that if we gave these orphans enough love and protection—treated them like family—it would improve things, at least a little. But as I said… very few can truly endure.”
Yu Sheng didn’t interrupt, even though Teacher Su’s rambling seemed off-topic. He just listened quietly.
Then the young Council employee suddenly caught herself, pausing with an apologetic look. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to go on like that. It probably sounded like I was just complaining about work…”
Yu Sheng waved it off. “It’s alright. It helps me understand more about what’s really happening in the Orphanage.”
Teacher Su nodded lightly, then gathered her thoughts and returned to her original point. “…What I actually wanted to say is, if you truly intend to investigate the ‘Fairy Tale’ matter, you should first visit the Special Affairs Bureau. See if you can get access to their archives—specifically, files from seventy years ago.”
Yu Sheng’s expression changed immediately. He instinctively leaned forward. “…Why?”
“I don’t know if Little Red Riding Hood mentioned it,” Teacher Su began slowly, “but a long time ago, the Council and the Special Affairs Bureau attempted to suppress the ‘Fairy Tale’ influence by directly taking control of all ‘Cursed Orphans.'”
“She did tell me,” Yu Sheng nodded quickly. “And she said the plan failed miserably—the ‘Fairy Tale’ violently rejects adults, so things went terribly wrong.”
“Yes, it failed. Many died, including a large number of Special Affairs Bureau Operatives and the most experienced Deep Divers. But they left behind a wealth of documentation—data on the reactions that occurred when adults came into contact with the ‘Fairy Tale.’ These records are stored in the Bureau’s archives,” Teacher Su said, pausing briefly. “Technically speaking, they’re the only existing ‘deep observation logs’ of the ‘Fairy Tale Otherworld’ in a high-activity state. And most importantly… these documents are written from the perspectives of ‘adults’ and ‘explorers.’ For someone like you, that viewpoint might be even more valuable than the experiences shared by Little Red Riding Hood and the others.”
Yu Sheng’s eyes turned sharply serious the moment he heard it. “Then this is extremely useful—seventy-year-old archives, you said?”
Teacher Su nodded, though her expression carried hesitation. “The main issue is that the archive is classified. A regular Spirit Realm Detective would struggle to obtain access… and the division I work in isn’t part of the same system as the Special Affairs Bureau. I’m afraid I can’t offer much help from my end. But… you did manage to return from the Black Forest with a child alive. That might be enough to attract the Bureau’s attention…”
“Eh, no need to go through all that trouble,” Yu Sheng replied, his tone subtly awkward as he fumbled with his phone. “I… do know a few people with some authority in the Special Affairs Bureau. Hang on a sec—I’ll ask.”
This time, he spoke with deliberate restraint, refraining from outright mentioning Bai Li Qing’s name in front of someone he barely knew. Unfortunately, Teacher Su clearly misunderstood. Watching Yu Sheng prepare to call, she hastily added, “I still recommend going through official channels. The Special Affairs Bureau has extremely strict protocols—stricter than most departments under the Council. Especially their Madam Director… that Steel Faced Expressionless Big Sister…”
But her warning came too late. Yu Sheng had already dialed his most recent contact, and the line connected almost instantly.
“Hello? Yu Sheng?”
Yu Sheng didn’t answer right away. Instead, he looked up from his phone to glance at the reclining Teacher Su on the bed.
The phrase “Steel Faced Expressionless Big Sister” had come through loud and clear—enunciated perfectly—and his phone was on speaker mode.
The next moment, Bai Li Qing’s calm voice came through the speaker, just as steady as ever. “Is someone with you?”
Still silent, Yu Sheng simply raised his phone and showed the caller ID to Teacher Su.
This young Council employee, an outstanding figure in child education, a top volunteer and worker of the Welfare Home… Su-someone, promptly closed her eyes—not peacefully.
“I’ll call you back later to explain—I’ve got an emergency right now.” Yu Sheng rapidly tapped a series of inputs on his phone. Before Bai Li Qing could respond, he hung up and sprang up from his seat, racing to the Doorway and yelling down the hallway, “Someone get over here! Teacher Su fainted again!”
A minor episode of chaos followed, but thankfully the situation wasn’t serious. The academy’s physician quickly took over matters in the infirmary, and Teacher Su was soon resting comfortably.
Yu Sheng rejoined his companions—Foxy, Irene, and Little Red Riding Hood.
It took a bit of time to explain what had just happened, and once he did, everyone exchanged bewildered glances.
“The Council sends people with this weak a mental constitution?” Irene sprawled across Yu Sheng’s shoulder, commenting with feigned indifference. “She passed out twice in like five minutes—she gonna be okay?”
Yu Sheng felt a strange sense of dissonance. “Why does it seem like everyone’s afraid of Bai Li Qing? The Special Affairs Bureau I get—she’s their top boss. But even people from different departments act like she’s some looming pressure…”
Little Red Riding Hood stared for a moment, then turned toward him. “First of all, the Madam Director is infamous for being ruthless and merciless. Everyone who’s dealt with her remembers it. I have no idea how you got the impression she’s ‘easy to talk to.’ Second… she’s not just the Director of the Special Affairs Bureau. She’s one of the five High Councilors of the Council itself. You didn’t know?”
Now it was Yu Sheng’s turn to freeze. “…No, I didn’t.”
Little Red Riding Hood shrugged, glancing sympathetically toward the infirmary. “Hopefully Teacher Su has a forgiving heart. Someone of that caliber shouldn’t stoop to hold grudges against a low-level employee… But as for you—what were you thinking, calling her that fast? And on speaker, no less?”
“I slipped, okay?” Yu Sheng tried to keep a straight face. “And seriously, with the volume she used and how close we were, even if I hadn’t put it on speaker, it’d have been the same…”
He paused, then quickly changed the subject. “Anyway, enough about that. Remember what I told you before? Once Xiao Xiao’s condition was confirmed stable—I planned to take you somewhere.”
Little Red Riding Hood blinked, then recalled the conversation.
It was Yu Sheng’s response when she had questioned his confidence in dealing with the Black Forest.
“I’ve finished what I came here to do,” Yu Sheng looked up at the darkening sky. “It’s not too late yet—so, are you interested in accepting my invitation?”
Little Red Riding Hood glanced at Yu Sheng, then back over her shoulder.
The Long Haired Princess stood there beside Xiao Xiao, who had her lips tightly pressed together. Neither seemed aware of what had just transpired. Their gaze toward her held a hint of confusion.
“I’m stepping out for a while,” Little Red Riding Hood told them.